


The Lightning before the Thunder

by TheFreeJoker42



Series: Taking Off Towards a Dream [1]
Category: Kamen Rider Zero-One
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Just to be safe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:14:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22572313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFreeJoker42/pseuds/TheFreeJoker42
Summary: A hypothetical take on the origins of the Metsubojinrai familyAs an extremely classified operation that only a handful of the most trusted scientists were allowed to so much as whisper about, Horobi was tasked with maintaining the HumaGear created to maintain the Ark
Series: Taking Off Towards a Dream [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1624153
Comments: 27
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying to imagine pre-Ark Horobi and Ikazuchi so that's why they'll both probably seem so ooc 😅

There was only one project more secretive than the Ark, and that was the HumaGear designed to maintain it. No matter how long you've known your colleagues, how extensive their background checks were, or how many times you've attended their children's birthday parties, you can never be too trusting. It wasn't beyond the realms of possibility for somebody to dedicate years of their time into a company only to steal their work. 

As such, only a handful of the most trusted scientists and engineers were allowed to go near the Ark project, and even then, they weren't allowed to interact with each other. Each employee was given just enough information to work, but alone would be useless until the end, when all the pieces were finally put together. A similar tactic was applied to the maintenance HumaGear. The rules set in place dictated that he must be deactivated for any further work to be done to him, any engineering updates, and all observation must take place behind a one way window. 

No living soul was allowed to interact with the HumaGear. Not that they needed to, as he himself was never destined to interact with humans. He was created in isolation, and would always exist in isolation. 

Luckily for Horobi, HumaGears weren't considered living souls. 

He stood patiently by the door for the first time as the security systems worked to confirm that he was indeed allowed to be there, until eventually it slid open, and the lights inside flickered on. He stepped inside, and the door closed and audibly locked behind him. His eyes locked onto the HumaGear he'd been tasked to work with, sitting on a metal table perfectly still, as if he didn't even notice Horobi's presence. How long had the poor thing been sitting alone in the dark, he wondered. 

"Raiden?" 

Raiden turned his head, and stumbled to his feet. 

"My name is Horobi, I have been tasked with your testing and maintenance." 

Raiden blinked, studying Horobi for a moment, before nodding slowly. "How do you want me?" 

"As you are." 

Raiden nodded again, and straightened his posture as he stood. 

"I just have to check your reaction times, if you'll allow me. There are many objects floating in space you may not be prepared for, so we need to be sure you can respond to unexpected occurrences. Do you have any questions?" 

Raiden stared at him for a moment with a burning gaze, running through his mind for a response. While many thoughts floated around his head, he wasn't well practised in vocalising them. He wasn't sure of the correct words for the questions he wanted to ask, and the thought of asking most of them caused an uncomfortable flittering in his chest.

Eventually, a string of words formed in his mind. 

"What does it look like?" 

Horobi tilted his head. "Space? It's... dark. Surely you must have seen it by now."

Raiden nodded slowly, taking his time contemplating his next words. "In pictures... and videos... and simulation... not for real."

"Well, if you look up at night, you can see thousands of tiny stars, and the moon, although you can usually only see part of it. And sometimes, if you know where to look, you can see five other planets. But it will look much different when you are there."

Horobi noted the lack of windows in the lab room. It wasn't even a case of being covered. There simply were never any installed. He wondered if Raiden even had any concept of what the sky looked like from Earth. 

"Forgive me for asking, but did they never complete your communication abilities? You seem to be having difficulty talking to me."

After another silence, Raiden answered. "I was never... intended for interaction... I was created to... exist alone... You won't... get into trouble for... talking to me... will you?"

"I fail to understand how they would expect me to work with you without communicating. How do they expect _you_ to work with anyone without talking to them? Are you not supposed to relay information to them?"

Raiden shook his head. "I can in... I can send information... without speaking."

Silence filled the room once again as even Horobi struggled to find an answer. It didn't seem logical to him. Why give him the ability to speak at all if they didn't intend to let him? Something about it felt off to him, even if he couldn't identify why.

"Shall we proceed with the tests?"

Though he was free to devise the tests himself, he was expressly told he was only allowed to use whatever objects were already in the room. It was one of many instructions he'd been given that he didn't quite understand, but didn't question - along with keeping verbal interactions to a minimum, but how was he to determine that?

After observing the many shelves and desks, truly humans had no organizational skills, he found a small model of the Earth. Whether it was educational or decorative he had no idea, but it would do.

"I want to see your reflex times."

He threw the globe, and Raiden caught it with ease.

"Can you throw it back?"

He tossed it back to Horobi with pinpoint accuracy. Horobi gently threw it again, and again, following the same rhythm, until eventually he batted it back to Raiden without pausing. 

Raiden flinched back, and raised his arms to shield himself, but the ball hit his hands and fell to the floor. 

"Sorry!"

Horobi retrieved the ball from the floor, watching Raiden cautiously. He wasn't expecting such a reaction, he didn't know how to take in the HumaGear in front of him wide-eyed and shaking. If he didn't know any better, he'd say he looked almost scared. 

"It's perfectly alright. The purpose of this is to test your reflexes, not your ability to catch."

"So, I-I, did, did I-"

"Please try to calm down. You are doing well. Movement isn't something that can be programmed, it has to be learned. And how can you do that if no one will teach you?"

Raiden nodded slowly, and maintained his posture. 

"Are you ready to continue?"

"I think... Yes, I am."

Horobi threw the ball gently again, directly to Raiden's hand. "Do you have any other questions."

Raiden held the ball in his hands for a moment, his eyes unfocused as he tried to vocalise them. "I think... No." He shook his head, and threw it back.

"If it's difficult to find the words, please take your time. There's no hurry."

They continued gently and casually throwing the ball back and forth as they spoke, Horobi taking great care to allow Raiden to catch it with ease. He wanted Raiden to gain a little confidence before attempting to fully test him again. 

"Are you sure... it is alright for us... to talk like this?"

"Of course. Besides, I cannot maintain you if you are unable to communicate with me."

"Is... it pretty?"

"Is what pretty?"

"Space. From the ground."

"That would depend on your definition. I'm not sure I can answer that."

"I saw an image of a nebula... I know that isn't really what... they look like, but I think it was pretty."

"You seem eager to depart."

"I feel honoured. And excited. And... I... please forget I said that."

Horobi kept hold of the ball, and observed the features of the HumaGear in front of him. His eyes were once again wide, and full of what Horobi could only describe as fear, but surely he was mistaken. 

He looked young, and fragile. 

He quickly set the globe aside.

"That will be all for today. I will see you again tomorrow."

Raiden's shoulders dropped, and he sunk back down onto the table. Horobi hurried to the door, pausing before opening it.

"You have already made such progress in your communication skills. Well done."

He didn't wait for a response before quickly departing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Or, father and son playing catch


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Horobi knows he's taking a huge risk, but Raiden seems so eager to learn, and something burns deep within him to teach

Horobi wasn't capable of feeling anxiety, as he often reminded himself, but this was perhaps the closest he'd ever come to it. This was a stupid idea, he didn't know what was possessing him to do this. 

He had no idea what the consequences would be for breaking such an important rule. 

But he pushed those feelings aside, and waited for the door to open. 

"Horobi." Raiden said with a smile. "I wasn't expecting to s... see you again." 

"I did tell you I was going to continue today." 

"I know, but... people don't always mean what they say. And you seemed... you left quickly yesterday." 

"I apologise. I was needed elsewhere." 

"Now _you're_ saying things you don't mean. Ah, not that you, I, it's okay, I say things I don't mean too! I didn't mean to say I was excited, HumaGears don't feel excitement, I just meant that I was... eager to fulfill my purpose?" 

Horobi was once again taken aback. He expected this to be a simple task, but he didn't know how to begin investigating these reactions. 

"I assure you, I have no intention of repeating anything you say to me. You can speak freely." 

Horobi reached into his hidden inside pocket, and pulled out some folded pieces of glossy card. 

"I was unable to answer your question yesterday, so I thought perhaps you could see for yourself."

He unfolded them and handed them to Raiden, who instantly brightened. "Did you... Is this... the sky?"

"At night. I know you'd rather see it for yourself, but this is the best I could do." He sat beside Raiden as he sifted through the photos. "Don't tell anyone."

Raiden shook his head, examining the images in awe. 

"Did they teach you anything of other planets and constellations?"

"No? I only know what's relevant to the Ark."

"In that case," Horobi scooted closer to Ikazuchi, and looked over the top picture himself, before pointing at one of the brightest spots. "That is Saturn. Have you seen it?"

Raiden shook his head. 

"Let me see if I can describe it. It is a yellow-beige gas giant that spins so quickly, it has become an oblate spheroid. And small pieces of rock and ice orbit it to form rings."

"That sounds beautiful." Raiden said, looking at the small bright star wistfully. "Tell me more!"

"A constellation is a cluster of stars that resemble an image. This is the constellation Scorpius. So, as the name suggests, it should resemble a scorpion." 

Raiden focused heavily on the group of stars, examining intently, before sighing. "I don't see it."

Horobi traced over the star pattern with his finger. "Imagine, this is the tail, the body, the head, and the pincers."

Raiden squinted, and laughed sheepishly under his breath. "I'm sorry, I realise now I don't actually know what a scorpion looks like."

"Of course. I apologise. Is there..." He scanned the room for any kind of writing utensil, before landing on a pen attached to a clipboard. As long as he returned it, he didn't see any problem. They did tell him he could use anything in the room. 

He unclipped the pen, and flipped over the picture, quickly sketching on the blank paper. 

"This is a scorpion-"

"How did you do that?!"

Horobi tilted his head slightly. "Do what? Draw?" 

Raiden nodded his head eagerly. "Can you teach me how to do that?" 

His mind screamed no. He was already taking such a big risk, but he could at least make the argument that the topic was relevant. But he was certainly not authorised to teach him anything so unnecessary, there was no way he could justify it - not even to himself, never mind to anyone who may ask. 

But Raiden's eyes were locked on him, wide, but in a different sense than before. They were softer now, and... the thought of denying him felt wrong. 

"I will see if I can locate some materials for tomorrow. But for now, can you see it?"

Raiden took the paper, and flipped between the drawing and the picture. "I can! I can see it, it looks like a scorpion! Well it doesn't, but I can see it!"

Horobi continued the process of drawing the image with the constellations. Some made more sense than others, but Raiden was enthralled nonetheless.

And on his way out, he was already considering how to smuggle in some drawing materials. 


	3. Chapter 3

"I know you said I couldn't bring in any outside materials, but I believe it would be of great benefit to be allowed to teach him the basics in pattern recognition. I thought perhaps if you would approve it, it would be permissible."

Sitting on the edge of his desk, despite the perfectly functioning chair across from it, Gai flicked through the pages. 

"I'm glad to see you taking your role in this so seriously, Horobi. But don't you think this is going above and beyond your duties?"

"With the greatest of respect, I only wish to improve upon the areas he is lacking... and nobody else appears to be teaching him."

He jumped as the book snapped closed. 

"If you have something to say, say it. Surely you're not questioning our methods, are you?"

"No! I assure you, that was not my intention. I simply... wish you would make better use of me. There is more I can do. I understand why you are apprehensive, but I am a HumaGear, _your_ HumaGear, I can only act according to your instructions. In essence, I am an extension of yourself. I am sure many people have said this to you already, but you _can_ trust me." 

"I think trust is a strong word, but... I suppose even I have to admit you're right. And you did the right thing by coming to me first. Make sure you continue to do so in the future." 

Horobi waited for Gai to offer the book back before taking it, and focused on holding it securely yet casually, or at least as casually as a HumaGear could be. He only hoped that the very act of trying not to look suspicious didn't itself look suspicious. Horobi bowed his head in thanks, and left the room as quickly as he could, only to freeze in the doorway when Gai continued talking. 

"When did you start wishing for things?" 

Horobi clutched the book closer to his chest, before turning back to Gai. 

"It was simply a figure of speech, I do not have the ability to want. I shall try not to use such misleading terms in the future." 

* * *

Raiden waited patiently in the semi-light room, sitting on the edge of the table with his back straight and his hands in his lap, his eyes closed as he was halfway between active and sleep. He'd been trying to imagine what he might like to draw, but aside from planets and moons and nebulae, maybe a few constellations if he was able, nothing came to him. He didn't _want_ to waste Horobi's time, but... perhaps he'd need some prompting. 

He looked up with a wide smile when the door opened to reveal Horobi with a book in his arms, a book on pattern recognition. Not what he was expecting to do today, but he tried not to show his disappointment. 

"Horobi!" 

The door slid closed behind him with a hiss, and locked with a clunk. 

"Raiden, how have you been?" 

"Fine, I suppose. Nothing of interest has happened." 

Horobi nodded once, and flicked through the pages, before pulling out some blank pieces of paper. 

"I hope I can change that. Tell no-one." 

Raiden's face lit up. It wasn't a sizable stack of paper, but to Raiden it was like a stash of gold he couldn't wait to get his hands on. He held them carefully, like it was the most priceless thing in the world, as Horobi collected the pencils he'd stashed in his inside pocket. 

"I wasn't able to gather much, but I hope this is a decent enough assortment." 

"What are we going to draw?" 

"Whatever you'd like." Horobi knelt on the floor facing the table, and Raiden followed suit, resting the papers on the flat surface. "Something space related, I assume." 

Raiden nodded his head ecstatically. "I was trying to imagine what I'd like to draw, but I'm finding it very hard to think. I don't think HumaGears were built with imagination in mind." 

"That might be true, but HumaGears _were_ created with the ability to problem-solve. That requires a certain degree of imagination, doesn't it? I don't believe it's entirely inconceivable that we could learn."

"I love listening to you talk like this. You make things sound so... possible." 

"You know, some time ago, space travel wasn't deemed possible. _AI_ wasn't possible. And look at you." 

Horobi picked out a random pencil, a nice dark purple, and put it to paper. Raiden watched with intrigue as the graphite slid across the smooth surface, leaving behind a nonsensical pattern. 

"Stars were not placed in the sky, they formed randomly, and yet humans find patterns and images regardless, through creativity, and imagination. Consider how Scorpius doesn't really look like a scorpion until you imagine it." 

He pushed the paper to Raiden, a small purple scribble in the centre of the page. 

"HumaGears aren't equipped with generating random patterns, but I tried. Why don't you try and make some sense out of this?" 

Raiden regarded it for a moment, trying to mentally fill in the white space around the purple swirls... Not scribbles, but swirls! He could do this. He knew _exactly_ what it looked like. With an excited smile, and a dedicated stare, he grabbed the colours he needed, and set to work. 

"Oh wait, I should do the same for you!" 

He hastily grabbed another sheet, and quickly produced a scribble of his own, before returning to his own drawing. 

"Me? Oh, alright, I can do that." 

They drew in an almost silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, nor a formal one, but a calm lack of noise. There was no pressure to maintain a conversation, and no sense of awkwardness. All that filled the room was the scratching of pencils, and the low whirring of the nearby computers - though they faded unnoticed into the background very quickly. 

Eventually, Raiden set his final pencil down. 

"Aha! What do you think?" He held up his art proudly. The random, purple swirl had become part of a gorgeous nebula of blues and oranges. The pencil strokes blended so seamlessly that he could barely even work out the original scribble. 

"That is very creative, Raiden. You should be proud." 

"What did you draw?" 

Raiden went to look over Horobi's shoulder, though he wasn't sure of the significance of the drawing. He tilted his head, and looked to Horobi for an answer. 

"Your scribble reminded me of a _kabuto_ , so I draw a samurai in battle." 

"Samurai?" 

"Warriors. Beginning in 12th century Japan."

"So... is 'samurai' your 'space'?" 

"How do you mean?" 

"Well, I've realised that the idea of space... it makes me really happy. I feel honoured to be allowed to go up there, and I really enjoy talking about it. Are you the same with samurai? Because you always talk about space with me, so I should talk about samurai with you too." 

"Ah, that really isn't necessary." 

"Of course it is! We can't only talk about my interests." 

"My task is to prepare you for your departure, it makes no sense to mention any other subject." Horobi said a little too quickly.

Raiden's shoulders dropped, and his hand found his discarded pencil as he began to unconsciously fiddle with it. "Of course. That's why you're here. I'm sorry, I forgot for a moment." 

Horobi stood quickly, and gathered the supplies, bowing his head. 

"Apologies, I should go." 

"I'm sorry." 

"No, I am simply needed elsewhere." 

"Oh... but, I'll see you tomorrow?" 

Horobi looked back, trying to find the words to respond, but his thoughts were running a mile a minute, so all he could do was turn away and leave. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... have no clue as to Gai's character, but there's something about people who sit on things that aren't chairs despite chairs being available that command power so that's what I went with 
> 
> Also I feel like my writing gets really dull and repetitive? So I'm trying to work on that. I just... need practice. 
> 
> Also also, full transparency, while I do have an idea of where I want to go with this, I do have a basic plan in my head, I have no real outline or anything. I know where I want to go, but I'm not 100% sure how to get there. And to be honest, I really do just want to have fun exploring some nice father son moments.


	4. Chapter 4

_I am not malfunctioning. I am carrying out my task to the best of my ability. I am not malfunctioning._

Horobi held the drawings tightly in his hands, creasing the edges. The drawing he'd had Raiden do to observe his... problem solving and pattern recognition skills. That was all. Everything he did was in relation to his work. 

He looked into the small mirror embedded in the wall. Something he'd observed amongst humans was the mirror pep talk, and while he didn't dare say his fears aloud, it still felt worth a try.

He was not malfunctioning. He felt nothing regarding the locked away HumaGear. He was not in danger of reaching Singularity. 

And neither was Raiden. 

He had to meet with him again. Questions would be asked if he didn't, they'd notice if he didn't.

"Horobi!" One of the engineers called, slapping his back a little too harshly. "On your way to the spaceman?"

Horobi straightened his posture and nodded his head. "Of course, as I do every day."

"Good to hear. Hey, between you and me, how's he doing?"

"I apologise, but I do not have the authority to discuss this with you."

"Come on, don't be like that. I won't tell anyone if you don't."

"I'm sorry but I really must insist you speak to Amatsu Gai about this, I cannot divulge any information to you. If you'll excuse me."

Horobi continued on his way, only for the human to pull him back with the band connecting his ear modules.

Every instinct screamed at him to fight back, but doing so would require no longer being bound by the rules coded into him... which would only be broken by reaching Singularity. 

Which he had not. 

So he fought against those instincts, and waited patiently for the human to let go.

"I'm being kind by letting you tell me yourself. I can find out another way." He sneered, giving him another sharp tug. 

"Such as? You are an engineer, not a programmer. You do not intimidate me."

"Don't talk back to me you useless pile of scrap-" The engineer cut himself off as Horobi's hand gripped tightly around his own, removing it from him, before turning around to face him.

"I'm afraid we will have to cut our communication short, I am running late."

The engineer ripped his hand from Horobi's grip, but before he could respond, Horobi was already on his way down the corridor. 

* * *

The room was soundproofed, otherwise he would have sensed that Raiden wasn't alone as he approached. Instead, in his already unnerved state, he flinched in surprise when he was greeted by two scientists - recognisable, and given clearance for the project. 

"Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to startle you." The man said as the woman gathered their equipment. 

"I apologise, I was unaware of your presence here." 

"No no it's fine," the woman assured him, "we're the ones eating into your time."

He looked over to Raiden, sitting perfectly still on the metal table as usual, eyes closed. He nodded his head politely as the two hurried out of the room, the woman stopping in the doorway and turning back. 

"Ah sorry we didn't turn him back on-" 

"I am perfectly capable, thank you." 

"Right, of course you are." She continued walking, and the door slid closed. Horobi approached slowly, and reached to reactivate him. 

Raiden's eyes snapped open. 

"Horobi! I didn't think you were going to come again! I seem to keep making you upset-" 

"HumaGears aren't capable of feeling upset." Horobi said a little too quickly. 

"He said, upsetly." 

"I'm not sure that's a word." 

"He said, looking very visibly upset then. You really do seem unsettled though. Did something happen? I know, I know you said we should only talk about things relating to our work, but your wellbeing is relevant, isn't it?" 

Horobi shook his head slowly. "I assure you, I am perfectly well."

Raiden looked at him with a determined stare. "HumaGears aren't supposed to lie." 

Of course, lying, another human trait unavailable to HumaGears. Was that another sign? Horobi sighed, and took a seat beside Raiden. 

"Somebody confronted me about information I was unable to give. He attempted to threaten me. But as you can see, I am fine now." 

"Was it... about me? I know I'm supposed to be classified, that's why they deactivate me to work on me. Was he asking about your work with me?" 

"He was." 

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry? You were not at fault." 

"I don't know, it just seemed like the right thing to say. I don't really know what it means to threaten someone, but it doesn't sound good." 

"It means to..." Horobi trailed off, trying to find the answer. Or at least, an answer he felt confident giving. He wasn't intimidated, he wasn't capable of such feelings. He couldn't possibly have felt threatened, he was clearly just... concerned? 

He once again pushed his fears aside. 

"To intimidate someone into doing what you want."

"Intimidate?" 

"Scare." 

"Were you scared?" 

"HumaGears are not..." Horobi began his natural answer, before stopping himself. Was it really such a hard written rule that a HumaGear could not experience fear? He was supposed to ensure no harm came to himself, why could that not translate into what he could only, with his limited experience with true emotions, identify as fear? It didn't mean anything. 

"I was afraid he would damage me. Or try to hack into my systems. I was confident he would not be able to, but at the time, it was of little comfort." He took a moment to gather his thoughts. "And, I'm afraid of what may happen to me now. I should not have removed his hand from me." 

"Why not? If someone is threatening you, shouldn't you fight back?" 

"Where did you learn that?" 

"I didn't, it just... sounds right." 

Horobi looked away. Something deep within him seemed to hurt at the thought of explaining this to Raiden, but it was important he didn't get too caught up in other ideas. The last thing he wanted was for Raiden to get the wrong idea, and do something he wasn't supposed to. He didn't want him to get hu- his efforts to have gone to waste. 

"It isn't that simple. HumaGears exist to serve humans, we have stronger rules and stronger repercussions. If we demonstrate that we are able to... be violent towards a human, they can and likely would deactivate us-" 

"What? But, but you didn't, you didn't do anything." 

It was clear to Horobi that if the human claimed to feel threatened by his presence, he could very well be deactivated, or at the very least reset. He knew that danger was very real when he defended himself, yet he still felt driven to. But he couldn't bring himself to explain that to Raiden, looking almost fearfully at him. He couldn't explain just how far above HumaGears humans were.

And he couldn't help but wonder when he himself had noticed that. 

And been bothered by it. 

"You're right. I'm sure I'm worrying for nothing." 

He stiffened as he felt something wrap around his hand, but calmed when he realised it was only Raiden.

"What does it feel like to be scared? Because, I think I am. I'm scared something will happen to you, I'm scared I won't see you again. I'm always scared every time you leave that you won't come back."

Raiden stopped as Horobi tightened his grip around his hand. 

"Raiden, I will do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen. Besides, I'm here now. Isn't that what's important?" 


	5. Chapter 5

"That thing broke my hand!" 

"I assure you, I did not apply enough pressure to break-" 

"I refuse to be a part of _any_ of your projects as long as that _thing_ is involved!" 

"Forgive me for being forward, but I do not believe your contributions to our projects are worth the risk of-" 

"Look at it, it's arguing back. That's not right." 

"I am simply-"

Gai rolled his eyes, and raised a hand. "Can you both just shut up for two minutes?" He sighed, flicking between the papers in his hands, before setting them on the desk. "And explain, calmly, what the hell happened." 

He looked over to Horobi, who lowered his head politely. 

"Nakamura-san was attempting to acquire information regarding the Raiden project, he attempted to threaten me and I was afraid he would damage me, so I removed his hand from me. I felt it would be an inconvenience to the project if I was to be out of commission for repairs." 

"I've been at this company for years, do you really think I'd betray you like that? Betray this company? This is the problem with HumaGears, they don't understand simple semantics. It's a friendly thing to do to ask someone 'how's it going', but god they have to take everything so seriously don't they?" 

"That is not what you were trying to do, I understand when I am being threatened." 

Gai sighed an impatient sigh, and raised a hand again for them both to be quiet, before turning his attention to the engineer. 

"I will deal with this accordingly. You are dismissed, for now." 

"But I-" 

"I said, you are dismissed." 

The engineer grit his teeth, and left the room in a huff, bumping his shoulder against Horobi on his way out. He once again started to mess with the organised clutter of papers and folders on his desk, leaving Horobi in an unbearably awkward silence. 

"I can trust you, can't I? You only act according to my instructions, an extension of myself. That's what you said, isn't it? I can trust you to tell me what he said, and what he did to threaten you." 

Horobi had expected to feel a sense of relief when the engineer left, but his uneasiness only grew. He was now faced with the task of recounting events, and while he knew he could trust his own memory to be accurate, what if Gai didn't like the story he told? 

He recounted the conversation word for word. 

"I informed him he would have to speak to you as I did not have the authority to divulge any information. I attempted to leave, but he pulled me back and told me he could find out another way." 

"But he didn't tell you what that other way was?" 

"He didn't have to." It was a threat, Horobi knew that. Anyone could have seen that. Anyone who'd have been prepared to look. He shouldn't have to justify why he felt threatened, why were his actions the only ones under scrutiny? Even if the human was proven to be trying to steal information, he knew full well he wouldn't be reprimanded for threatening him. 

Perhaps he should have let the human continue, at least then he'd face consequences for damage of property. 

"I would be inclined to believe you, Horobi. HumaGears don't lie, do they? But then again, they don't really draw either." He said, throwing the book he'd hidden the papers in on the floor, the drawings scattering. Horobi's chest instantly tightened, and he felt an unexplainable chill. How did he find those? 

"Please let me explain." He said softly, surprising himself by how quiet his own voice was. It wasn't intentional, but somehow it was all he could manage. 

"Oh please do, I'd love to hear it." 

"I was simply testing his image recognition and interpretive abilities. I felt-" 

"No, no you didn't feel, did you? Try again." 

Horobi froze, trying to find the appropriate words, the words Gai would want to hear. He was used to choosing his words carefully, but somehow this felt different. 

"I... thought that-" 

"No." Gai warned, with the kind of voice you would expect from someone watching their soaking wet dog attempt to climb onto the settee. Horobi faltered, on the verge of desperation as he tried to reach for the correct terminology. 

"It seemed like the appropriate method. I apologise if I was wrong. I will endeavour to correct my methods in the future." 

Gai sighed again, almost sounding remorseful. Of course, Horobi knew better than to believe that was the case. He kept his head lowered, his gaze away from Gai, waiting for his verdict. In that moment, he'd never been more sure of his feeling of fear. He was afraid for himself, naturally, but that seemed to be overridden with a crippling fear for Raiden, for how this may impact him.

What would happen to Raiden if he wasn't there? 

But surely Raiden couldn't be blamed for Horobi's own actions, and he was sure Raiden's mission wouldn't be harmed if he wasn't there to guide him. His fear in that respect was unfounded, yet he couldn't shake it. 

"I'm sure you know how this looks. You know what happens to HumaGears that... act out, don't you?" 

"I am perfectly aware, but I assure you I was simply-" 

"You keep saying that," Gai bent down to pick up the drawings, "but you aren't doing a very good job of assuring me." 

He slowly and purposefully crumpled the papers in his hand, watching Horobi for the slightest reaction. Though he was determined not to show any. He was so focused on maintaining his confident and unaffected impression, that he almost jumped when the door opened. Because as much as Gai liked to pretend it was, this was not his office space alone. This was a collaborative project, and this was his shared office. 

"Amatsu, I was hoping to- Horobi! Now this is a nice surprise. How's life been treating you?" 

He could feel Gai's burning gaze, as though daring him to say anything to paint him in a less than favourable light. 

"I am functioning perfectly well thank you, Hiden-san." 

"Honestly Horobi, how many times do I have to tell you? Call me Korenosuke." 

"That would be highly unprofessional." 

"Ah, one day I'll get through to you, Horobi. Actually, are you busy? I could do with stealing your time for a bit." 

It took Horobi a few seconds to realise Korenosuke was addressing _him_ , and not Gai. "I'm sorry, you would have to ask Amatsu-san, my time is not-" 

"Sure, whatever, just take him." Gai said, thrusting the crumpled drawings at Horobi. "Just dispose of these on your way out, will you?" 

Horobi very slowly and carefully took the papers, fighting the urge to flatten them. But he was so incredibly grateful for the save, though it had been a while since he and Korenosuke had spoken. He couldn't imagine what it could be about, but he found himself less anxious than he was.

* * *

"They will be watching me more closely, so we will have to be more careful, for now at least. I am not sure if I will be able to smuggle anything in for the foreseeable future." 

Raiden shook his head. "I don't care about that, as long as you're okay. When you didn't show up, I thought something bad had happened to you. Or they wouldn't let you see me again." 

"I told you, I would do everything I could to make sure that didn't happen." 

He knew he was lucky Korenosuke interrupted before Gai could give his verdict, before he could outright tell him he was no longer allowed to work on this project. But Horobi was pulled out of his thoughts when Raiden wrapped his arms around him. He tensed, but Raiden's hold around him only grew tighter as he buried his face in Horobi's shoulder. 

"I hate it here. I only feel safe when I'm with you. I don't want to do this any more. But they don't let me leave! Why won't they let me leave? Everyone else can. What if something happens to you and I'm stuck here?" 

"It is not for you to protect me, Raiden. I don't want you to worry about me. While I wish this was not the case, I do have more freedom than you. Therefore, I am the one who should be taking care of you. And I will do the best that I can." 

Horobi's arm wrapped around Raiden before he could even realise what he was doing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Admittedly, I was sitting on this chapter for a bit since I couldn't figure out how I wanted to end it, before realising I could just end it there and move on 😅


End file.
